The Korean peninsula extends southward from the eastern end of the Asian continent. The Korean peninsula has a land area of approximately 220,000 sq. km. It is divided at the 38th parallel by a demilitarized zone separating South and North Korea. Korea has four distinct seasons Freedom of religion is fully guaranteed in the Republic of Korea. Korea has many religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Catholic, and Confucianism. Korean has ten vowel and fourteen consonant sounds, and is written in a native phonetic alphabet, Hangeul which was created in 1443. The unit of Korean currency is the Won. Exchange rate. Koreans are descendents of Mongolian Tungus stock. Population of South Korea is 47.3 million. (2002) GMT/UTC plus 9 hours Outlets for 220 volts 60 cycle are dominant. Always check the power supply before using your equipment Visitors with confirmed outbound tickets may stay up to 30 days without visa, although this does not apply to a few nationalities. Value-added tax is levied on most goods and services at a standard rate of 10% and is included in the retail price. Tipping is not customary in Korea. In tourist hotels, 10% tax applied to rooms, meals and other services and is added to the bill.